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Double delight for State cricket fans

HYDERABAD: It should be double delight for the cricket crazy fans of Andhra Pradesh. Within a day after it was revealed that Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (Uppal) got the nod to host Test and one-day internationals, it was the turn of ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam to get a similar approval from the same ICC match referee Alan Hurst.

The Australian seemed to be completely floored by the way the inspection went around last month. “It was an exceptional way of presenting the venue for inspection. This is the best outfield of all the five centres I had inspected on this trip to India,” is his frank confession in the report, a copy of which is available with The Hindu.

Colourful brochure

ACA secretary V. Chamundeswaranath was more professional in his job handing over to Mr. Hurst a colourful brochure highlighting the various features of the venue. “Excellent surface -- well drained and even covering of Bermuda grass. This is the best outfield surface of the five grounds I inspected on this trip,” Mr. Hurst remarked. “I would recommend that this venue be approved as suitable to conduct both ODI and Test matches subject to the following changes which I have been guaranteed will be attended to very quickly like improvements in players change-rooms, expanding the umpires’ room with additional facilities and setting up bigger scoreboard to facilitate more information during a match.